that moment when people spend a thousand bucks on a gaming pc to play a game for a $100-$200 console, with graphical glitches and all.

If you are spending anything over 500$ on a gaming PC, you are either getting into enthusiast territory, looking to play games in 4K resolution, or you are just over all doing it wrong. There are reasons for having an over the top PC aside from gaming of course, but your typical PC gamer will be perfectly happy with a limit of 500$ - 700$ after taxes.

Does that number sound familiar? It should, since it is what Good Consoles of days long past USED to cost, because the companies were actually trying to make something that could ACTUALLY beat a PC on a $/performance basis.

So yeah, unless you went over the top, have reasons to have something over the top like 4K, or bought your PC off the shelf of a best buy like a complete idiot.... your PC should never cost up to or over 1000$.

CPU: 100-150$ should suffice. If going with Intel, you could easily spend much more, but the cost is usually worth it in the end. AMD is the best for most user case scenarios per $/performance values.

RAM: 30$ will likely suffice for most users, assuming 6-8GB of ram is the aim. Ram is very user scenario based though, so buy what you need, not what people say you need. (Others always assume that their needs suit everyone, so just research what's best for your scenario.) Also, More is always better, despite what dumkopfs say.

GPU: To meet current consoles generation, 150$ To beat the consoles hands down, 200$... as of 2014's stock. I am sure those same GPU's are much cheaper now.

Case: Pick what you will, but buy your power supply separately, as most included are crap. Case is variable cost as it depends on the users needs.

Optical drives: A nice thing to have, but not necessary now a days anymore. Can usually get by just fine without them unless you actually need to use a dvd or bluray disk for whatever reason. Which... is quite rare for many people, and getting rarer. 10-100$ depending on the kind you buy.

Hard Drive: 50$ for 120GB SSD, and 60$ for 2TB HDD and you have yourself enough space for all your games, at least until you fill it lol.

Motherboard: This could be 40$ if you don't need/want the most ballin motherboard out there and just need something that works. That said, it can also get really expensive if you want the bleeding edge over every system built ever!

Power Supply: Regardless of the cost, buy something that suits your needs power wise, but also has a 80+Gold or better efficiency rating. Costs more, but you are less likely to have issues down the road, like you definitely will if you use an included PSU with your case. (Exception on the included PSU goes to certain companies like Cooler Master, who usually includes a decent PSU when they do at all.) 50-150$ is the range of cost here, depending on your needs.

If you want to see a build list of something really cheap compared to the usual found on places like PCMR, and very capable of playing most games at actual 1080P and 60fps, just drop me a line. I don't mind fiddling with the build lists. Just ask for an example of today's market and I will have a reply for you asap.

You can use your TV for playing your games. I do, and it works great. So there is no need for extra cost due to a monitor, but if you do buy one, try to get something worthwhile. Ask around. Might not be cheap, but the best monitors are worth every penny. You can also use a controller for gaming if you wish, but many find over time that the Keyboard and Mouse truly is the superior method for gaming in many user case scenarios. That said, there are just some games that are meant to be played with a controller. First person shooters are not one of them, sorry CoD fans.

Oh, and I am quoting Canadian prices right now. We are getting screwed in the PC market due our low dollar at the moment. All of this could easily cost a good 100-200$ less in America right now.

Oh, and before I forget, you don't need to buy windows to play these games. Granted, many of them will be easier to get running on windows, but a person with patience can get almost all the currently available games for both Console and PC to work on Linux, the free to use OS.

Yes, even PS3. http://rpcs3.net/ More work, is needed... but they are getting there.

Linux comes with MULTITUDES of free, non-pirated totally legal software. Among those is WINE, which is not an emulator, but instead a program that allows windows applications in a Linux environment. It's a package of the Windows API's, not the OS itself, and as such is not really an emulator, although the misunderstanding of such things can be ... understood.

All in all, you aren't wrong that the PC can be expensive. But you are on the wrong track of that kind of mindset. PC's only cost a lot if you want them to.

Case and point, my 35$ Raspberry Pi 2 can play PS1 games, while hooked up to my TV, and supports my ps3 controller out of the box.

That 35$ mini PC can run PS1 games! The new Rpi 3 can probably (maybe) play ps2. Can't wait to find out.

To bring this reply to an end.

The cost of your gaming platform all depends on your ability to find the best suited machine for your needs. If a current gen console is all you think you need to enjoy your games, then have at it friend. But don't go claiming that your 100-200$ current gen console is better than any PC just because current gen developers and their bosses have their heads up their asses.